Leica Any experience with the MS Sonnetar 50mm f1.1 MC?

[VINCETAN]

Just wondering if anyone tried this lens yet? I like the fact that it is small and I think light.

 

[dante]

Here you go.

MS-Optical 50mm f/1.1 Sonnetar: magic time

Vince, is Brian S still on this board?

Thanks,
Dante

 

[Peter Klein]

I'm not Vince, but yes, Brian is indeed here.

 

[Brian]

I'm here! Been incredibly busy with work the last week or so.

I've not shot with the Sonnetar- came close to buying one, but went after the Nikkor 5cm F1.5 instead. At some point I need to try one out. I have a lot of Sonnar lenses...Some obscure, some one of a kind.

 

[Hap]

I purchased a ms Sonnetar from what I thought was a reputable seller in Japan with worldwide profile.
The lens arrived in reasonable time. However the lens would not correctly mount and brought up incorrect frame lines. I had Avery difficult time establishing coomunication with seller who attempted to instruct me in procedure of self repair..by email, which I reluctantly tried, and did not work. Next suggestion to take to local camera tech at my expense. Never offered to take back lens for repair or exchange...and expectation all that might occur at my expense as well as long process.

The lens could be fine but if mount not good......how can I trust?

Maybe I am wrong but I assumed that legit sellers support and back products they sell ,especially if defective but some apparently have little interest in customer satisfaction.
Hap

 

[ChrisBail]

I have one of these lenses, and really like it. Like any lens, it's not for everyone...however, it is small, light, and fast. It also happens to work really well for me, though I do occasionally have to tap the preview lever to get the right frame lines when I mount it.

@f1.1

Leica M9 - MS-Optical 50mm f1.1 by Chris Bail, on Flickr

on film

2014-26.Leica MP.MS-Optical Sonnetar 50mm f1.1.Kodak 400-2TMY.30 by Chris Bail, on Flickr

on film again

2014-26.Leica MP.MS-Optical Sonnetar 50mm f1.1.Kodak 400-2TMY.19 by Chris Bail, on Flickr

an again...

2015-02.Leica MP.MS-Optical Sonnetar 50mm f1.1.Eastman 5222.13 by Chris Bail, on Flickr

 

[Hap]

Very nice pictures. I had to take my new lens to technician today. He ended up carefully bending a tab and filing the mounting flange, eventually repainting. That fixed the frame lines when mounting as it clicked in. The preview lever did not always work perfectly. That's life.
Leica 50's all worked perfectly.

Calibrated lens an rf on a ground glass with high magnification. It appeared right on at infinity and less tha meter with coma adjustment on red dot and wide open.

I like the lens....just not how I was treated.

 

[Hap]

Lots of vignetting on you b and w's. Is that intentional or just how the lens renders?

 

[ChrisBail]

I didn't add vignetting. That's just something to expect with this lens wide open.

 

[Hap]

Thanks for your reply.....helpful

 

[Hap]

Was the vignetting with.... Or without, the screw on lens shade?

 

[ChrisBail]

I believe these were all with the lens shade on. The reversible shade and screw on front cap are great for storage, but not so good if you're carrying the lens around to take pictures. I usually leave the hood on with an extra 62mm lens cap that I had in a drawer on the end of it, so the hood is generally on whether I need it or not.

 

[Hap]

I am thinking that I might go with 54mm filter screwed on upside down to outside threads of lens and then the shade to the filter as mentioned in instructions on Japan exposures web site.

 

[Hap]

I have one of these lenses, and really like it. Like any lens, it's not for everyone...however, it is small, light, and fast. It also happens to work really well for me, though I do occasionally have to tap the preview lever to get the right frame lines when I mount it.

@f1.1

Leica M9 - MS-Optical 50mm f1.1 by Chris Bail, on Flickr

on film

2014-26.Leica MP.MS-Optical Sonnetar 50mm f1.1.Kodak 400-2TMY.30 by Chris Bail, on Flickr

on film again

2014-26.Leica MP.MS-Optical Sonnetar 50mm f1.1.Kodak 400-2TMY.19 by Chris Bail, on Flickr

an again...

2015-02.Leica MP.MS-Optical Sonnetar 50mm f1.1.Eastman 5222.13 by Chris Bail, on Flickr

Chris....somehow I did not notice your comment about the frame lines. I took my lens to a camera tech who bent the tab and filed carefully on the mount and repainted the exposed metal. This corrected the issue of getting the correct frame lines to show when mounted. pressing on the preview lever towards 90 and back to 50 will sometimes leave faint 90 lines but with a little jiggling....goes away.
Hap

 

[ChrisBail]

Glad to hear yours is working properly Hap. I'll have to do some tests to see if my vignetting is hood related.

 

[Hap]

If you read Dante Stella's review of the lens, he clearly states that it is vignetting but does not slam it for that. It's just how it was designed. I have a few rolls of film going to the lab and then I will see. It would be nice to have a digital camera similar to an M....to check these things and focus issues. I have adapted it to my Nikon 1, but that's nothing close to FF.

 

[serhan]

If anybody is interested in this lens, good sale price at Roberts camera:
MS Optical 50mm f1.1 MC Sonnetar R&D Lens (Leica M Mount)

I already have one... With A7R+af adapter:

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On Sony apsc w af adapter:

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